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Heroes aren’t always people. Sometimes they are animals, such as horses.

Mythology and sports are populated with such famous equine heroes as Pegasus, Man o’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat and others.

However, horses in general can be considered to be everyday heroes because of the many ways in which they have helped the human race. Our history is closely allied with that of horses. These animals helped to open up new worlds by carrying settlers and their supplies to new lands. They pulled wagons, stagecoaches, railway cars, and river barges. For many years they were our main method of communication, carrying news and mail from place to place. Up to and including the First World War, horses have carried soldiers into battle.... did you know that during World War I, one million horses were sent to the front but only 62,000 survived?

Before fire trucks came on the scene, fire horses worked side by side with firefighters in cities and rural areas. And before the mass production of tractors and other agricultural machinery, nowhere did horses work harder than on the farm.

It’s safe to say that throughout history, few other animals have worked as hard for people as horses.

Today, these animals are still serving people in various roles, including that of therapy horses.

Did you know that a horse’s eyes are the biggest of any land animal’s (including the elephant), and that a horse can remember instructions for ten years or more? Readers will discover many intriguing facts about horses in this book.

Intended as a “nonfiction companion” volume to Mary Pope Osborne’s Stallion by Starlight, a “Magic Tree House” book, Horse Heroes stands on its own as a very readable and informative resource about the history, behaviour and characteristics of these intelligent, loyal animals. Photos, a table of contents, an index and a list of relevant web links are included.